The Bologna Children’s Book Fair is the world’s leading children’s publishing event; it provides unique copyright business marketplace and an accurate picture of the latest international trends. Each spring, publishers, authors, illustrators, literary agents, TV/Film professionals, licensors, licensees, packagers, distributors, printers, booksellers and librarians meet in Bologna to:
– buy and sell copyrights
– generate and gather new contacts while strengthening professional relationships
– discuss and debate the latest sector trends
– discover new business opportunities and find the very best of children’s publishing and multimedia productions
Literary and TV/Film & Licensing Rights Centres To provide a ‘home away from home’ for rights agents, the Fair has created two centers, side by side, one for literary agents and scouts, the other for motion picture and licensing rights people. The two centers offer a host of services, including private meeting areas, communication equipment and support staff. The TV & Film Rights Center has its own online, year-round “site” where registrants can access current rights listings provided by Bologna Children’s Book Fair exhibitors and literary agents.
The Global Learning Initiative(GLI) Supplemental educational materials – books, new media, and games – are an increasingly important part of children’s publishing. The Global Learning Initiative, organized by the Bologna Children’s Book Fair in co-operation with the Association of Educational Publishers (US) is the international business event created by and for K-12 (primary and secondary school) educational publishers. In a new Hall of its own (the GLI Pavilion), the GLI provides a rights and commercial center specifically for the growing international community of educational publishers in all media. GLI also features a GLI Award, seminars and workshops developed by the publishers themselves.
Illustrators Exhibition The Bologna Illustrators Exhibition is an exceptional display of children’s book illustrations. An integral part of the Fair each year, the Exhibition offers a selection of works from outstanding emerging and already established artists. This year, 85 artists have been selected by an international jury for exhibition.
Translators Centre The Bologna Children’s Book Fair also features a Translators Centre, to highlight translators’ critical role in the development and internationalisation of children’s literature and publishing. During the four days of the Fair, the Centre offers a meeting point where translators can meet, exchange experiences and have a cup of coffee in a friendly atmosphere. In 2005 the Bologna Children’s Book Fair and the UNESCO – Clearing House for Literary Translation have launched the first World Directory of Children’s Book Translators dedicated to all professionals in children’s publishing: a new industry-specific tool extremely useful for international publishing professionals. It is meant to provide them with a complete and updated reference tool of the professional translators active worldwide in the children’s book publishing arena.

The “rights” place for children’s content: the world’s leading event in the rights business of children’s publishing, now expanding to content creation: licensing, illustration, digital publishing, audiovisual. Featuring the prestigious Illustrators Exhibition, providing an int’l overview of the most innovative trends in the world of illustration.